1. Field of the Invention
The invention described and claimed herein is generally related to equipment and procedures used in weight training and muscle toning. More particularly, the present invention is related to devices which are worn by the individual for the purpose of enhancing the effectiveness of weight training exercises.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known among exercise physiologists and has been documented in numerous medical, as well as athletic journals, that the most effective means of creating definition and muscle mass is through the process of isolation. This process was partially addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,957 (Cucchiara) issued on Aug. 21, 1990. The present invention differs from the prior art in a number of areas. First, the use of twin cylindrical tubes rather than a single tubular design affords the user the ability to exercise both appendages at the same time. This gives the subject a more stable anatomical balance. Believed to promote stability, the scientific community has long focused on decreasing the role of the dominant limb. The dominant/subservient limb theory subscribes to the belief that just as one eye is more optically correct and therefore dominant, the same applies to all facets of anatomical make. This would imply that by pulling an equally distributed amount of weight, at separate trajectories, the weight would shift to the limb capable of contracting at a greater rate (the dominant limb). While the instant device is similar in respect to the cylindrical shape as Cucchiara, there are significant differences. Engineered and implemented as a tool to efficiently and effectively exercise the lower appendages including (but not limited to), the lower anterior and posterior muscle groups. The instant device is effective in increasing proximal musculature and anatomical balance.
In the development of the abdominal region, the instant device would be fitted to the subjects' ankles (FIG. 3), and attached to the tensile cables. Upon choosing the desired weighted resistance, the subject would lie flat or at an incline depending upon the portion of abdominal anatomy the subject wished affected. Positioning him/herself upon a raised flat surface, with his/her legs in a slightly bent position, the test subject would slowly allow the legs to fall at a controlled speed. While doing so, the subject will make the abdominal cavity contract accordingly. The controlled speed and movement would give the user both a positive and negative resistance, thus stimulating an increased contraction in the desired primary muscle groups.
The twin-cuffs-secured design enables the wearer to be focused on the task of exercising, rather than that of balancing shifting appendages. Not unlike that of seismic activity when two tectonic plates rub along side one another, the jarring, or uneven shifting is caused by the apparatuses slipping back and forth during contraction. When exercised interdependent of each other and attached to an external weight, shifting of the two cuffs causes an uneven contraction. This contraction causes the cuffs to travel at separate and different speeds resulting in a rough or "bumpy" ascent and decent. Adding to the forementioned complications is the necessity of "balancing" the legs during the exercise, which distracts from the original intentions of the exercise. In order to facilitate the above abdominal exercise with the Cucchiara device, two cuffs must be available, and in some way permanently attached or balanced. The test subject would then begin by attaching the devices to the ankles, applying tension to the lower loops located on the bottom of the bodies of the design. Recreating an identical movement to that of the instant device, the subject would attempt to the repeat the above movements. By having to balance the shifting limbs, the use of the sartorius muscles must be incorporated in order to control the uneven contraction. This uneven contraction is due primarily to the two rings continuously shifting in the clamp during the course of the exercise. While this seems to be a problem easily corrected by fastening two clamps to steady the shifting apparatuses, the nonrigid connection still allowed the limbs to move independently with the dominant limb leading the movement and carrying the subservient limb. Further, the prior art has been shown to substantially favor the upper torso while attending briefly to the abdominal cavity and the surrounding muscles including, and not limited to, the serratus, and the oblique.
In order to isolate and successfully contract the lower abdominal or "rectus abdominal" the subject would utilize the traditional method of grasping a weighted dumbbell between the feet. With this in mind the subject must begin pulling the dumbbell in an upright, controlled fashion. The movement which would be considered isotonic in nature (moving a certain amount of weight at a controlled speed), is only partially effective due to the unusual amount of stress being placed upon the synergist or lower lumbar. The pressure exerted upon the lower lumbar turns this exercise into an arduous and painful endeavor. The lower back is not the only portion of the anatomy which will be made to suffer; The need to balance the weight upon the anterior, or upper portion of the foot to accomplish the task of adding resistance places pressure on the skin causing the weight to be transferred, thereby pressing the skin against the smaller and more fragile metatarsal (bones). This can cause other problems in individuals suffering from Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome. This is when the small bones in the foot or the "tarsals" are moved causing peroneal nerve entrapment. This causes anterior cansias inflammation at the retinaculum and pain between the lateral and median malleoli. In layman's terms, this inflammation causes the subject to experience both pain and muscle dormancy in the foot and ankle area. This condition similar to "carpal tunnel syndrome" of the hands renders the subject unable to experience "flexion" in the foot, thus encumbering the subject's ability to grasp and perform with a dumbbell or weighted object. FIG. 3 shows completing the identical task as above, instead of using the cumbersome and potentially dangerous dumbbell, the subject will be able to utilize the tensile cables offering a smoother and balanced workout. Besides the obvious physical repercussions described above, the need to use secondary or flexor muscles, in this case the tibialis anterior (which controls the upward flexion of the foot), is not necessary to balance and contain the awkward and shifting dumbbell.
Accordingly, the effectiveness of the prior art and other conventional isotonic exercises is limited to the abilities of the secondary or flexor muscle groups. Which is to say, the primary or desired muscle being stronger, will require a greater amount of resistance than the smaller counter part can provide. An overload or the ability to reach anaerobic exhaustion without first tiring the flexor group limits the scope of the prior art as well as all exercise which require flexion or "grasping". A common example of this is raking the lawn. The hands which represent the flexor group will exhaust their means way before the biceps or shoulders become tired. This is a signature of such debilitating physical challenges as carpal tunnel syndrome in which the subject feels great streaks of pain radiating up the arm. Without eliminating that need to use the secondary muscle group, the primary group would not be able to exert the total amount of force necessary to create an "overload". According to the American College of Sports Medicine, the only way to increase size of a particular muscle group is "to exert a constant and specific force on said group greater than that which is usually applied in any given situation, thus causing an overload".
The instant device was tested with a test subject completing the identical task of leg raises as above under the close scrutiny of the head of the Physical Therapy Department at the Florida International University. Test and control groups were formed to assist in the validity as well as the objectivity of this test. In the test group, the instant device was attached to the subjects ankles, then attached to the pulley system of the weight stack. The larger, or gross numbers represent the findings of the control group. The control group consisted of the same subject using a 20 pound dumbbell. The subject followed the same procedure as with the instant device, however the results came out entirely different. To determine with accuracy the amount of effort exerted during a contraction, the subject was connected to a Elector Myogram Or (EMG). The purpose of the EMG is to measure the elector-stimuli within the muscle tissue, and determine whether or not a muscle has increased or decreased in activity. The sensors were attached to the anterior portion of the upper quadriceps muscles (Q), and the abdominal (ABD) musculature (left rectus abdominous), as well as the biceps femoris (hamstrings), and its respective secondary or stabilizer the gastrocnemius (calves). When tested, the instant device provided the following results: muscular stimulation and contraction in the abdominal region increased from 83.43 to 88.88. While this indicates a good increase in isotonic muscular contraction, the largest gain occurred within the quadracept muscle (Q) (secondary musculature). The need for flexor activity in the anterior quadricep was reduced almost six hundred percent, from 37.92 to 6.29. The EMG receptors were then attached to the subjects' biceps femoris (hamstring), as well as the gastrocnemius, medial head (calves). The subject was made to contract under two conditions with and without the use of the instant device. The device was attached to the ankles of the subject and connected to the weighted tensile cable. During the course of the contractions, the following millivolts were extracted. The biceps femoris (desired primary muscle group), increased from 13.19 without the device, to 47.23 with the use of the instant design. While increasing contraction of the large primary muscle groups by over 350%, the unwanted flexor or secondary muscle group was decreased almost 400%, from 28.36 without the device to 7.36 millivolts with the device.
The presence of a rigidly connected second cuff stabilized the appendages and caused a tangible equilibrium to exist between the two working limbs. The need to balance the shifting cuffs was removed from the equation, and the secondary muscle decreased in activity accordingly. Further, to support the theory on dominance, the test subject used was right leg dominant and during contraction without the instant device the right leg was guiding the left leg at a disproportionate rate. The subject then attempted identical movements with the device, wherein the millivolts declined substantially, and the limbs appeared to contract in a more uniform manner.
The hamstrings and quadriceps are another group of diverse muscles which rely on a number of different compulsive exercises to cause an overload. The hamstrings and quadriceps consist of, but are not limited to: the gracilis, adductor Magnus, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, biceps femoris, vastus lateralis, sartorius, gluteus maximus, and quadratus femoris. One of the ways to exercise the hamstring group is through the use of the hamstring curl or reverse leg curl machine. With this machine, the subject lies face down, placing his/her feet under a round pad, and with the posterior portion of the ankles, the subject pulls the weight in an upward motion. The weight is transferred from the weight stack through a series of pulleys to the hamstring muscle group. The desired overload is frequently met, however, the pressure is often transferred to the lower lumbar region of the back through the arch needed to facilitate the rapid contraction necessary to accelerate the momentum of the weight. Even though, the subject is lying face-down, the back needs to arch to accommodate the flexor muscles such as the gastrocnemius or calve muscles, which when contracted, cause the lower back to constrict.
Unlike the conventional reverse curl machine, the instant device causes an overload through isotonic annexation. By attaching the device to the subjects ankles, the subject is able to contract the posterior hamstring (flexor biceps) without utilizing the feet or the calves (Gastrocs). Another method which is common in fitness environments is the reverse hamstring biceps curl. The subject in this case lies face down on a bench and a dumbbell is placed upon the posterior or bottom portion of the feet. The dumbbell must be balanced, and close attention must be kept by an individual assisting in the exercise. In order to correctly facilitate this exercise, there must be two active participants, the individual exercising, and a "spotter" who overseas the activities of the individual exerciser. Much like the forementioned reverse curl machine, conventional weights in this exercise pose an inherent degree of danger to the user. To facilitate the inertia to move the dumbbell, the legs must contract in a powerful movement thus shifting the body. The weight will continue to travel in an upward direction until opposing forces bring it to a halt. If the subject is unable to balance the shifting weight between his feet, the weight could fall on the subject causing a severe impact and injury to the spine, neck, or head. As with aforementioned reverse curl machine, the subject applies the device to the ankles, and lying facedown on a bench, begins contracting and extending the appendages. The subject can decide to either use the upper or lower portion of the hamstring group by lowering or raising the bench. This is a benefit not available in reverse curl machines and is too difficult to attempt with a dumbbell. Further, as the tests conducted at Florida International University demonstrated, the secondary or flexor group in this case, the calves (Gastrocs), must be utilized to control the weight. The dumbbell which is "seated" upon the bottom of the feet requires the gastrocs to stabilize and maintain a flat surface so the weight does not fall.
The prior art was primarily designed to facilitate proximal musculature in a single appendage, and was not designed to utilize both limbs simultaneously. This is obvious in FIG. 1 of Cucchiara, in which a single cuff is demonstrated. Had this design been intended to work both appendages simultaneously, provisions for an additional cuff would appear, and the body of the patent would describe the cuffs in a plural manner. Further, had the ability to simultaneously exercise both appendages been addressed, the aforementioned device would have interlocking capabilities, i.e. the ability to become permanently fixated to one another.
The instant device is versatile and diverse in design and can be used in an environment other than a gym. By using the device without added weight, the subject can choose from a number of exercises including the aforementioned leg-lifts, abdominal crunches, and hamstring curls. Utilizing positive and negative forces, the device can provide an increase in proximal abdominal musculature by allowing the subject (during exercise), to concentrate on controlling the movement rather than focusing on balancing and holding two appendages together. The device may be supplied with an elastic or "weighted" rubber band which would be connected to a permanently affixed item in the home, such as a door. The individual would attach the weighted band with a clamp to the bottom of a secured, closed door. The band would then be connected to the device by a clip located at the end of the band with the twin cylindrical tubes (FIG. 1, item 6). The individual can now complete the identical tasks just as if they were in a professional fitness environment with similar results and intensity. This aspect would appeal to most individuals since it is reported that two-thirds of the American population are not members of a gym or formal exercise facility. Further, the device can be used in an aerobic setting. Aerobics is defined by The American College Dictionary as "pertaining to or caused by the presence of oxygen". By increasing the individuals heart rate and metabolic activity, oxygen level is increased thus oxygenating the cells. By using a rhythmic and continuous movement, the subject can increase, oxygenation and heart rate just as in any other aerobic exercise such as running or swimming. Following the same guidelines as with the weighted exercises, and increasing them to become rhythmic and compulsatory movements, the device can be adaptable to a large aerobic setting to enhance both muscle tone as well as cardiovascular endurance. The prior art can only be used to facilitate an anaerobic workout. Therefore, prior art is limited to (1) the presence of weight or tensile cables, (2) only anaerobic exercise, and (3) the ability to work only a single limb at a time. Unable to use both limbs simultaneously, as well a making no accommodations to join two devices together, Cucchiara can not effectively be used to increase the cardiovascular or metabolic rate, therefore, it can only be utilized anerobicly.
The instant device has a number of medical applications as well. These applications have been tested on a number of physiological problems. One such problem is arthritis. Unable to complete the agonizing task of grasping weights to facilitate exercises depicted in the above passages, the device provides the ability to exercise without the considerable pain and discomfort. The use of both limbs successfully and simultaneously reduce the arthritic swelling thus, subsiding the eminent pain. With the implementation of the device, pain although not eliminated, usually subsides substantially. This is important as it indicates an increase in protective muscle tissue surrounding the joint, allowing the joint to be relieved of any grinding pressure. Further, a modified device may be used in the rehabilitation and restoration to a group of badly damaged limbs. The extensive damage, such as from a gunshot, may make movement quite impossible, and exercise a nonrealistic goal.
Accordingly, it is the purpose of the instant design to be attached to limbs at any point, and act as an artificial "prosthetic". By reducing the need for secondary muscular stimulation, the primary muscle group can be made to perform to the point of exhaustion., and can be placed under a greater amount of tensile load for a greater duration of time. Further, it is the objective of the instant device to provide a weight training apparatus which effectively isolates the proximal musculature of the entire abdominal cavities, as well as the lower appendages.